First Kroger Adventure

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store to purchase lentils. I was eventually successful, though it involved dragging JP all through the new Kroger on a legume search, and a permanent ban of discussion of human anatomy in grocery stores.

I was spoiled last term by a tiny, local, organic health food store in town. The store was small, and felt a little bit like walking into the store shed of an extreme couponer who shopped exclusively at Whole Foods. The owner was spectacular, friendly, and as far as I could tell, didn't dislike Americans. He packaged the grains and legumes he sold, and sold them all for wonderfully low, reasonable prices. In fact, it was all so reasonable and easily navigated that I grabbed a package of chocolate covered mango slices (right underneath the grains) because I was in such a good mood.

The new Kroger, though it's well-stocked and clean, was another chapter in my rapidly expanding tales of "awkward reentry to America."

In the South, grocery shopping is an opportunity for social interaction. When you inevitably run into someone you know, you are obligated, by some ridiculous unspoken rule, to have a conversation. Strangers are also fair game. I'd forgotten that rule until people started jumping into conversations JP and I were having about Lucky Charms and his remarks on the sensual nature of hotdogs. The hotdog comment resulted in the permanent ban on any observation involving human anatomy in food-related venues.

After the stranger interruptions and well-deserved judgmental glances, I started to book it through my shopping list. It took me five minutes to find lentils, and ten minutes to get them from the "dry goods self-service" apparatus. As I was putting the bag of red lentils into my basket, JP grabbed it, and broke the human anatomy rule: "It looks like a butt. No seriously, Kenna. Look. It's a butt."

It took two cashiers to ring up my groceries. I smiled pleasantly at them both as I explained what lentils were and where they might be found on the price checker. I held it together for the ten minutes it took them to find it, ring it up, and give me a total. It was all weirdly stressful, but mostly comical.

I posted less than a month ago about my excitement for returning to the states because of bigger emotions and people who are more forward about...everything. The generally more reserved nature of the UK rubbed off on me a little more than I thought.

On the upside from yesterday's awkward outing, I keep catching JP with a grin on his face - he is still very pleased with his bag of lentils/butt joke.

Milkshake Menus and Sass

In my head, it's been much longer than two weeks since I wrote here last. But in the last two weeks, I've been to Edinburgh and back, through the Highlands, in Aberdeen to say goodbyes, to London, Phoenix for a few days, Tucson for a visit, and finally to Memphis (of course, with a stop in Atlanta).

That's 4 time zones, and 6 different cities/towns (8 if you count the crazy layovers)! It was 54 degrees when I left Aberdeen, and 108 when I landed in Phoenix that evening. Yikes.

But I made it home! The weather in Memphis has been, thankfully, wonderful. We've had good summer rain, the screened porch at my aunt and uncle's has been cool, and even in the warmest hours, I'm just glad to not be cold anymore.

I went back to church on Sunday, have seen friends all over town, met people for coffee, and did a load of laundry. Laundry and grocery shopping are my two "officially settled" activities, so this time tomorrow, I will hopefully be settled (and eating lentils).

In the chaos of packing, unpacking, repacking, and unpacking again, I admit that I'm missing the simplicity of my routine in Scotland. I only needed to know two bus routes, shopped on one street, ate at one cafe, and had tea at another. The river was a two minute walk from my front door, I usually sat on the same bench until sunset, and could walk ten minutes up the hill to sit in the botanic gardens. People were quieter. Even their dogs were more reserved. My phone never, ever rang. Emails could wait until tomorrow, or next week, or for never. Usually the latter.

I drove into Sonic last week with Steph. The milkshake menu must have had at least 30 choices. Just the milkshakes - which are somehow different from the cream drinks and the regular drink menu, and included a bacon and peanut butter shake. I will say, even though this semester had some rough moments, coming back to so much noise and 200 cereal options and 12 different kinds of Oreos has been a good reminder of why I went somewhere else to unwind and rest.

So tomorrow, after a week of craziness and settling, of overwhelming cookie purchasing adventures, and summer clothes ironing, I'm ready to get back to lentils, river walking, and quiet. It'll just be the Memphis edition - in the words of JP, "More Memphis, like more ghetto. More sass." Lentils are the least sassy things I can think of, but if there were ever a city to draw sass out of nowhere, it's this one.

Countdown to Hometurf: Balancing Acts

Sometime in the middle of the university exam period, as I settled into my study nest (complete with chocolate and hot tea), and had this wonderful realization: I am happiest when I'm at my desk, reading, learning and writing. Every once in a while I would get up from my desk and walk through Seaton Park. I took a break to put a pot of quinoa on the stove, take out the trash, vacuum, or change over a load of laundry.

With each break and study page, I had this growing feeling of rest, and a deepening sense that I was slipping into a healthy, sweet rhythm of working and breathing.

The messy balancing act of work and rest has been one of my greatest personal struggles. Honestly, I came to Scotland to figure it out. Why I thought changing countries would help me figure out how to manage stress and balance rest with work is still a mystery to me, but at the end of this 5+ month process, I can finally say that I've found some sort of balance.

The secret? I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out. But it certainly helps that I love the "work" part as much as I love the resting.

I confess that though I'm entering this summer with a great deal of excitement, I'm also walking in with a lot of uneasiness and a little bit of fear. I'm new to this research game, and I haven't exactly chosen to start small. Throughout this term I've flirted with it, shuffling through old notes, jotting down new ones, and reading in short spurts. Last week after exams, and this week in Edinburgh, I sat down to seriously look at what I have so far, and as I separated the pieces into sections, I began to feel genuine excitement for this project.

But I'm just as excited for my Memphis summer balancing act "resting" pieces: yoga, coffee dates, walks by the River, Shelby Farms, and Overton Park, cooking nights with friends, farmers market wandering, and feeding this growing love affair with blues music.

See you in a week, Memphis.